Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles

We just returned home from Santa Teresita where we joined all our sisters and our residents and their families for a Mass celebrating our 80th Jubilee. I know I’ve said this often,but it really was glorious.

“A jubilee is a wonderful time to reflect how good God is,” said Bishop Oscar Solis during the homily. How very true. The bishop did not hesitate to remind us that we can see that God’s ways are not our ways, but that with Him we can measure the true meaning of success: to be instruments of God’s grace, to live our calling as a Christian, to impart Gospel values. All of us joined him in a prayer for “success not only in this world but forever in Heaven with Jesus our Lord.”

Mother Regina Marie also addressed the congregation at the end of Mass. Allow me to repeat a few of her words: “We (the sisters) are the privileged ones who live along side those who are truly rich with the wisdom of years. They have been under the gaze of their Loving Creator for seventy, eighty and even a hundred years and radiate this grace out. We have a power house of grace in our residents who accept whatever our Lord sends. One day they will receive an unlimited flood into their souls: Heaven.”

After Mother spoke, we had a surprise planned for all those attending. About 50 sisters were in the choir loft on the West end of the Chapel. Another 50 were seated just off the sanctuary on the East end of the Chapel. On cue, they filed out and filled the sanctuary. For eighty years the Carmelite Sisters have been the recipients of God’s blessings at Santa Teresita and have poured those blessings out as we have served. Today was no different. And so there broke forth from us a heartfelt song invoking God’s blessing. As Mother Regina Marie said, we covered those in the Chapel and all their loved ones with a blessing that reached from East to West, from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Tuberculosis sanatorium, general hospital, continuum of elder care: over the past eight decades we have been at the service of the family for life in whatever way were are most needed. And we are dedicated to continuing our work in bringing healing and hope to countless souls.